Experts outline tips for residents to have a safe holiday

As area residents prepare to fire up their ovens and enjoy Thanksgiving dinner, there are a few things they can do to ensure they have a safe holiday.

Lenoir County Emergency Services Director Roger Dail said hot grease has been the No. 1 culprit for Thanksgiving-related injuries.

“Lately what we’ve seen are people who have been burned when they go to fry a turkey or chicken outside and they go to put it in a big pot of hot grease. It boils up over and splatters on them,” he said.

He said in case of a grease fire, residents should never put water on it or attempt to run out of the house with the boiling pot.

“Either use a lid if you can do it safely, or use a fire extinguisher if you have one. If for some reason you don’t, then you can use a box of salt or baking soda to put out the fire,” he said.

He also said choking is another hazard on Thanksgiving.

“Sometimes people will swallow bones by accident and it lodges in their airways,” he said.

Dail said house fires are not as common, but they do still happen.

“Typically what we see with those, is where someone has just walked away and left something on the stove and time gets away from them and they come back in to a grease fire on the stove,” he said

Dail said people should keep a careful eye on their stoves.

He also said residents should make sure all fire extinguishers and smoke detectors are working.

In case of a burn, Ernest Grant, coordinator of the N.C. Jaycee Burn Center at UNC Hospitals, said there are a few thing people can do to treat burns themselves.

“The best way to treat a minor burn is to first run cool water over the burned area for 3 to 5 minutes, which helps get the heat out of the tissue and keeps the burn from going deeper,” he said.

Grant said people should seek immediate medical attention if a burn is bigger than a quarter, induces intense pain, blisters, looks moist and beefy-red in appearance, appears pearly white, light brown, khaki-colored or charred with no pain or is over a joint or involves the face, ears, eyes, nose and genitalia.

Grant also said people with certain medical conditions should seek help if they get a burn.

“Individuals with diabetes, arthritis or heart disease should also seek medical attention for burns because their ability to heal from the wounds may be impaired,” he said.

Dail said in the end, if there is no other alternative, residents should call an emergency responder.

“If for some reason think you cannot put it out or if it’s already spread to the cabinets, then call 911 immediately and get out of the house,” he said.

Thanksgiving safety tips

Reduce burn and fire hazards: Wear short-sleeved shirts or roll up the sleeves so cuffs don’t come into contact with oven coils or stove burners.

Stay close to cooking items: Have a designated greeter to answer the door or the phone. If you have to leave the kitchen for a moment, take something with you like a spoon or the kitchen timer to remind you to go right back.

Move the turkey carefully: Use a sturdy metal roasting pan and wear over mitts that cover your forearms. Remember to check that the mitts aren’t worn, or the heat can transfer quickly from the pan and burn your hands.

Handle fires correctly: If something in the oven catches fire, turn off the heat and leave the oven door closed.